Is Sunflower Seed Butter Deserving of All the Hype?

So it’s a surprise that people are swapping the P for an S, making for a SB&J sandwich. We agree, it doesn’t have the same ring to it, but the health benefits of sunflower seed butter might be enough to warrant a spot beside the dynamic peanut butter and jelly duo.

According to Dr. Josh Axe, best-selling author of Eat Dirt, and co-founder of Ancient Nutrition, sunflower seed butter is protein rich, loaded with vitamin E and magnesium, and full of healthy fats.

One serving of organic sunflower seed butter has three grams of protein, keeping you full longer.

“Peanut butter has long been the reigning champion of portable, high-protein pre- and post-gym snacks. But sunflower seed butter can give it a run for its money,” says Dr. Axe. “That’s because each serving of sunflower seed butter has about three grams of protein, a great size for a snack, particularly when paired with carbs.”

The vitamin E content in the butter can help balance cholesterol levels, increase immunity, and even reduce the effects of aging. The magnesium is essential in keeping energy levels high, preventing muscles spasms, fighting constipation, and even helping with a good night’s sleep.

“Thankfully, snacking on sunflower seed butter provides about 15 percent of what your body needs a day—not bad for just one tablespoon!” says Dr. Axe.

Having said that, there’s a catch (there’s always a catch): some pre-made variants have more than what you bargained for – namely, hydrogenated oils and a lot of sugar.

“With peanut allergies highly on the rise many people have switched to sunflower butter,” says Dr. Elizabeth Trattner, Doctor of Chinese and Integrative Medicine. “It is worth making the switch because peanuts are loaded with mold, chemicals and they are also legumes and people with digestive disorders cannot tolerate.”